This class was really heavy on the readings but the quizzes were fairly easy, attendance was taken in class and she asks for a lot of participation.
I LOVE THIS PROF. She is so cute and Italian mother-like. Class is super chill and material is interesting. We read one short book throughout and had 2 short & easy reaction papers. Midterm and final were multiple choice tests, pretty easy if you attended lecture. Could make a pizza from scratch for extra credit!
Loved this class! She's such a good lecturer I genuinely wanted to come to class. Goes at a good pace while adding in fun anecdotes. She gives extra credit, 2 easily graded papers, 2 exams, 4 quizzes, if you go to lecture you don't have to do any of the readings to do well on the exams. My first Italian class and would 100% recommend.
I was so excited for a class on Italian culture, but she made it hard to get anything done! I had health issues all quarter and when I asked for an extension on the first paper, she gave me 15 extra hours total, including sleeping. Since I couldn't do the paper (25% of my grade), it guaranteed I would fail the class unless I aced everything.
Literally the best professor I have had at UCSB, one could even argue that she is the GOAT of all the professors and faculty members within the school.
Prof. is amazing. She told amazing stories & I genuinely enjoyed the book we were assigned to read. I liked the films and the extra credit (pizza making) assignment was so much fun to do. Well organized class and 100% my fav class I took this quarter. Tests medium hard, but nothing crazy or unexpected. I def recommend.
super funny and sweet and always available to help with correcting any essay! fun class to attend :)
Professor Valentina was the best Italian professor I've had at UCSB thus far. She is very energetic, uses Kahoot and interactive PowerPoints in her lectures. There are quizzes every week, which are moderately difficult if you don't prepare for them. Italian 2 definitely takes more work than Italian 1. You will be fine if you put in the work!
LOVE HER! Such a sweet professor and really wants you to understand the material. EASY A! Just show up, participate, & learn. Quizzes are super easy as long as you take 20-30 minutes to study for it. Midterm & final are a PIECE OF CAKE! I actually enjoyed coming to class everyday & I recommend going to her office hours to proofread assignments.
Prof. Padula is hilarious and encourages open discussion in class. Honestly this class was an easy A. Clear grading criteria, insanely easy midterm + final, and you get extra credit if you decide to make a pizza from scratch at home. Lectures can be boring, but she really gives you a taste of authentic Italian culture.
Italian Culture as it should be, Fashion, Food, Mafia, Politics, and Modern life in Italy. Make a pizza for your friends for extra credit. Show up, have fun, easy A.
I absolutely loved this class. There was a short book that was an easy read along with articles on GS. I never read the articles and was fine. 1 midterm, 2 easy short pages (2 pages each), and 1 final. She is awesome and her lectures really give you a taste of what Italian culture is really like. I would HIGHLY recommend this class!
Padula was really excited during each lecture. You don't really need to read the book because she gives a detailed summary during class. The weekly quizes are pretty easy if you have gone to class.
She is amazing! She is so nice and sweet, and she's funny too! She's an enthusiastic professor and she genuinely cares about her students understanding the material. I loved going to this class!
Valentina Padula is really kind and her class was fun and informing. The “textbook” is a short, funny novel. There are extra readings each week that are poorly written and impossible to comprehend without a dictionary. Fortunately, she discusses each one. Exams are not quite what the study guides suggest, but they’re not too challenging.
Valentina is a great professor! I just had her for my second quarter in a row and I wish I could take her class next quarter. She is very fair and teaches well. Overall she is just a great person. I felt like she truly cared about all her students- take her!
Valentina is a remarkable professor and I definitely recommend taking one of her classes. Her lectures are so interesting and she is adorable. I absolutely loved having her!
Padula is one of the best Italian professors at UCSB. She is very helpful and wants you to do well. She is easy to talk to. The quizzes and pop quizzes were easy. Preparing for midterm and final helped out a lot. She is a nice lady and helps you understand the material and Italian culture. Highly recommend taking her if you want to learn Italian.
Amazing professor! Highly recommend taking her Italian culture class. Watched 6 Italian movies and all the readings were online. Two short reaction papers, four quizzes, a midterm and final. Tests were fair and topics were interesting.
She was a great teacher, not afraid to joke and tease with the class and always willing to further explain concepts if there was confusion.
Valentina was a GREAT professor! She really wants her students to do well, but you have to put in the effort. I received an A but I also attended every class, participated, and did the assignments. She likes it when you participate and show that you are up for a challenge. I hope I get her for Ital 3!
I've never been lucky enough to have a teacher be this good. She was helpful, clear, and very fair. She was also the best dressed professor i've ever had!
Great teacher--employs great learning methods such as supplemental worksheets and partner exercises. Keeps your Italian on your toes; prepares her students well for the exams and you'll also learn about the Italian culture and Italian people. She is also very stylish!
Professor Padula was the best, she was very funny and overall amazing.
